Device for holding container closures in container closing position



May 19, 1964 FlG.6

INVENTOR. FRED KENNETH PARRISH ATTORNEY United States Patent O ce 3,133,657 DEVICE FOR HOLDING CONTAINER CLOSURES IN C(BNTAINER CLGSING POSITION Fred Kenneth Earrish, 183 Vidal Blvd, Decatur, Ga. Filed July 21, 1951, Scr. No. 125,755 4- Clairns. (Cl. 215-98) This invention relates to a device for locking the closure of a container in that position which closes the container and more particularly, to a device which can be used on a container such as a flask or bottle to hold the cap or top of the container firmly in container closing position so that the unauthorized opening of the container is readily apparent or so that the accidental opening of the container is prevented.

There are many situations in which it is desirable to prevent or discourage the unauthorized or accidental opening of bottles, flasks or other containers by small children, adults, or shipping and storing conditions. Typical of such situations are those in which a bottle contains a drug which is dangerous to children or in which a bottle contains a test specimen or other material which must not be spilled or with respect to which access must be controlled. These and other situations have resulted in a number of attempts at providing a convenient device for securely locking or holding the closure of a container in container closing position.

However, previous devices have generally been suited for use only with a container having a previously selected neck cross-sectional configuration and size and having a lip or flange at the upper end of the neck. Moreover, these previous devices have not been well suited to applications in which it is necessary to frequently open and close the container. In addition, they have generally not been readily adaptable for use with any one of a variety of closure types.

The invention described herein completely eliminates all the foregoing difiiculties with container locking devices. For example, the invention can be used regardless of the size or cross-sectional configuration of the container neck and regardless of whether the container closure is a cork, a glass stopper, a screw-top, or some other type of closure. Moreover, once the device has been installed on a container, it readily permits the container to be frequently and conveniently opened and closed, and although the device is completely adaptable to a container having a lip or flange at the upper end of its neck, the device is equally adaptable to a container having no such lip or flange. In addition, the device permits the interchangeable use of components having various colors so that suitable color codes may be used to designate containers having specific contents.

These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all figures and in which:

FIGURE ,1 is a side elevational view of the top portion of a container showing the locking device in position to securely hold the closure of the container in container closing position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the locking device showing the various components of the locking device in those positions which they would occupy when holding the closure of a container in container closingposition.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the neck strap component of the container locking device.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the closure strap component of the container locking device.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the closure strap component of the container locking device taken in line 3,133,657, Patented May 19., 1964 5--5 in FIGURE 4 and shows the pin carried by the closure strap component.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the lock post component of the container locking device.

These figures and the following detailed description disclose a preferred specific embodiment of the invention, but the invention is not limited to the details disclosed since it may be embodied in other equivalent forms.

The container locking device is comprised of three components, namely the neck strap 16}, the closure strap 11 and the lock post 12. The neck strap 11; is rectangular in contour with a Width less than the length and a length greater than the circumference of the neck 13 of any container 14 on which it is planned to use the locking device. Each end 15 or 16 of the neck strap 10 has a plurality of holes 17 spaced at intervals extending from the end 15 or 16 toward the mid portion 18 of the neck strap 1%. All of the holes 17 in the two ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 1% are of equal diameter with the diameter and the location of the holes 17 being selected to provide holes 17 of as large a diameter and as closely spaced as possible while at the same time maintaining the structural integrity of the neck strap 10 between adjacent holes 17 and between the holes 17 and the edges 19 of the neck strap 10.

The neck strap 10 also has a plurality of holes 20 spaced at intervals along that portion 18 of the neck strap 10 which is midway between the two'ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 11 For manufacturing purposes, these holes 20 are most conveniently made with the same diameter as the holes 17 in the ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10. Moreover, in the specific embodiment of the locking device described herein, the holes 17 in the ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10 and the holes 20 in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 10 extend for such a length as to provide a neck strap 10 having holes 17 and 20 distributed throughout its entire length. However, the neck strap 10 is most accurately described as a rectangular component having a plurality of identical holes 17 spaced along two lengths extending from its two ends 15 and 16 and having another plurality of holes 20 spaced along the length 18 midway between its ends 15 and 16.

The closure strap 11 is another rectangular component having a plurality of holes 21 which are the same diameter as those holes 17 in the ends 15 and 16' of the neck strap 10 and which extend from one end 22 of the closure strap 11 along a portion of its length. The location of these holes 21 in the closure strap 11 is determined by the same considerations of structural integrity which dicmate the location of the holes 17 in the ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10. At the other end of the closure strap 11 is positioned a pin 23 which extends in one direction from that surface 24 of the closure strap 11 through which the holes 21 are formed. The diameter of this pin 23 is just sufficiently less than the diameter of the holes 20 in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 10 to permit the pin 23 to be snugly inserted into one of these holes 20 and the length of this pin 23 is such that upon its insertion, the pin 23 will resist being removed from a hole 20 by forces applied perpendicular to the center line of the pin 23. It has been found that a pin 23 length equal to or slightly greater than the thickness 26 of the neck strap 10 is adequate for these purposes.

The third component of the locking device is the rigid lock post 12 which is conical in shape and is integral with a flange 27 at its conical base 28. The diameter of the base 28 of the lock post 12 is just sufficiently less than the diameter of the holes 17 in the ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10 to permit the lock post 12 to fit snugly into any of these holes 17 and the diameter of the flange 27 is sufliciently greater than the diameter of the holes 17 &

in the ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap to prevent the lock post 12 from being pulled through any of these holes 17. At its end 29 remote from the flange 27, the tapering conical shape of the lock post 112 permits its easy insertion into the holes 17 in the ends and 1 6 of the neck strap 10 and into the holes 21 in the end 22 of the closure strap 11. Moreover, in the specific embodiment of the locking device described herein, the tapered end 29 of the lock post 12 is bent away from the center line of the lock post base 28 so that the lock post 12 resembles a bent horn in configuration. The advantage of bending the tapered end 29 of the lock post 12 in the foregoing manner will be readily apparent when the use of the locking device is described below.

A channel 3% passes transversely through the base 28 of the lock post 12 at a distance from the flange 27 which is approximately equal to two thickness 26 of the neck strap 16 and one thickness of the closure strap 11. The diameter of this channel 31} is large enough to permit the insertion of the hasp 31 of a conventional padlock 32 or some similar locking means.

The locking device is most conveniently placed into position on a container 14 by first inserting the lock post 12 into one of the plurality of holes 17 at one end 16 of the neck strap 11} and by inserting the pin 23 of the closure strap 11 in the same direction into one of the plurality of holes 29 in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 16. The particular hole 17 at the end 16 of the neck strap 10 into which the lock post 12 is inserted and the partieular hole 2b in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 10 into which the pin 23 is inserted will be determined by the distance around the neck 13 of the container 14 upon which it is desired to position the locking device.

Specifically, the distance between the lock post hole 17 and the pin hole 24 tor a particular container 14 should be approximately one-half the distance around the container neck 13. Although a plurality of holes 2% in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 11) and a single hole 17 at one end 15 or 16 of the neck strap 10 or a plurality of holes 17 at one end 15 or 16 of the neck strap 10 and a single hole 21 in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 10 would in most cases permit this distance between the lock post hole 17 and the pin hole 20 to be attained on a wide variety of container 14 types and sizes, a plurality of holes 17 in both the end 15 or 16 of the neck strap 10 and the mid length .13 of the neck strap 10 provide the greatest opportunity for the selection of holes 17 and 20 to attain the preferred location of the lock post 12 and pin 23 regardless of the size or cross-sectional configuration of the neck 13 of the particular container 14 on which it is desired to position the locking device.

When the lock post 12 has been inserted into a hole 17 at one end 16 of the neck strap 10 until the lock post flange 27 is flush against the neck strap 10 and when the pin 23 has been inserted into a hole 20 in the mid length 18 of the neck strap 10 until the closure strap 11 and the neck strap 11 are flush against each other, the locking device is placed against the neck 13 of the container .14 with the lock post flange 27 and closure strap 11 between the neck strap -1t) and the container neck 13 and with the closure strap 11 extending upward toward the closure 33 of the container 14. With the locking device in this position, the other or free end 15 of the neck strap 10 is drawn around the neck 13 of the container 14 toward the lock post 12 until the neck strap 10 completely surrounds the neck 13 of the container 14.

The lock post 12 is then inserted into one of the plurality of holes 17 in the free end 15 of the neck strap '10 by rotating the lock post .12 so that its curved end 29 extends toward this end 15 of the neck strap 10 and by pulling this free end 15 of the neck strap '10 down along the lock post 12 until it is flush against the other end 16 of the neck strap 10 at the base 28 of the lock post 12. When the proper hole 17 in the free end 15 of the neck strap 10 is selected during this last described operation, the neck 13 of the container 14 is securely gripped by the neck strap 10 with the closure strap 11 extending upward to the closure 33 of the container 14.

Since the closure strap 11 is made of pliable or flexible material, positioning of the locking device upon the neck 13 of a container 14 in the foregoing manner will not in any way prevent the opening and closing of a container 14 since the closure strap 11 may simply be pushed aside when opening and closing the container 14. On the other hand, when it is desired to securely fasten the closure 33 of the container 14 in the container closing position, it is simply necessary to draw the closure strap J11 across the top 34 of the container closure 33 and insert the lock post 12 into one of the plurality of holes 21 in the end 22 of the closure strap 11.

As in the case of placing the free end 15 of the neck strap 10 on the lock post 12, placing the free end 22 of the closure strap 11 on the lock post 12 is most conveniently accomplished by rotating the curved end 29 of the lock post 12 so that it curves toward the free end 22 of the closure strap 11. Thus, the curved end 2% of the lock post 12 can be easily inserted into that specific hole 21 in the end 22 of the closure strap 11 which makes the closure strap 11 taut across the container closure 33 and the closure strap 11 pulled down along the curved lock post 12 until the closure strap 11 is fiush against the outermost neck strap end 15. After both ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10 and the free end 22 of the closure strap 11 have been positioned at the base 28 of the lock post 12, the lock post 12 may be rotated so that it curves downward and away from the container closure 33 and the curvature of the lock post 12 will eflectively prevent the free end 22 of the closure strap 11 from slipping off from the lock post 12. Thus, the closure 33 of the container 14 is effectively held in position for shipment of the container 14 or if the container 14 were to be accidentally rolled on its side or tilted upside down.

More significantly, the hasp 31 of a conventional small padlock 32 or other locking means may be inserted into the channel 30 in the lock post 12 and the hasp 31 will serve to prevent the removal of the closure strap 11 from the lock post 12 since the end 22 of the closure strap 11 as Well as the two ends 15 and 16 of the neck strap 10 will be between the hasp 31 and the flange 27 of the lock post 12. Thus, with a hasp 31 or other locking means in position, it becomes possible to open the container 14 without destroying the container 14 only by removing the locking means. Therefore, tampering or accidental opening of the container 14 is eflectively prevented under all circumstances.

Although the neck strap 10 and closure strap 11 may be made from deformable metal such as 30 gauge tinplated steel sheeting, it has been found that the most useful locking device is obtained when the neck strap 10 and closure strap 11 are made from any tough flexible plastic material. This is because neither the neck strap 10 nor the closure strap 11 require any degree of rigidity. As a matter of fact, material having good flexibility is desired for the neck strap 11) in order that it may be wrapped around container necks 13 of any cross-sectional configuration and some slight degree of elasticity is desired in order to permit the neck strap 10 to be pulled taut around the neck 13 of a container 14 when the lock post 12 is inserted into particular selected holes 17 at each end'15 or 16 of the neck strap 10.

Similarly, good flexibility of the material for the closure strap 11 will permit the closure strap 11 to be pushed aside when it is desired to open the container 14 and with slight elasticity will permit the closure strap 11 to be drawn taut across closures 33 having a variety of shapes and configurations when it is desired to lock the container closure 33 in position by attaching the free end 22 of the closure strap 11 to the lock post 12. It should also be noted that since the closure strap 11 and the neck strap are assembled on the container 14, it is possible to use closure straps 11 and neck straps 10 of various color combinations on particular containers 14. This feature permits the use of specific color combinations to designate various container 14 contents.

Moreover, although motion of the neck strap 10 along the length of a container neck 13 is inhibited by the tight manner in which the neck strap 10 is drawn about the neck 13 of the container 14, it has been found desirable in some applications of the locking device to further inhibit this motion of the neck strap 10 by specifically selecting material for the neck strap 10 which has a high coefficient of friction with respect to the material of the container 14. Moreover, it has also been found that by covering the side 36 of the neck strap 10 adjacent to the container 14 with a tacky substance, the motion of the neck strap 10 along the length of the neck 13 of the container 14 can be further inhibited regardless of the coefficient of friction between the material of the neck strap 10 and that of the container 14.

Thus, it is apparent that the locking device may be used on a container 14 without regard to whether the container 14 has a flange or lip 35 either by relying entirely upon tightly gripping the container or by also using selected material for the neck strap 10 or tacky substances on the neck strap 10. Similarly, if the tacky substance is used on the side 37 of the closure strap 11 adjacent to the container closure 33, it will tend to resist the rotation of the closure 33 when the closure strap 11 is drawn tightly across the closure 33. This will eflectively prevent any leakage of a screw-top closure 33 by the slight turning and loosening of the closure 33.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. A device for holding the closure of a container in container closing position comprising, in combination, a rectangular neck strap placed around the container adjacent to the closure, said neck strap having a plurality of holes of equal diameter spaced along end lengths at its two ends and a plurality of holes spaced along a mid' length between its two ends and having its two ends overlapping so that one of the plurality of holes in one end length coincides with one of the plurality of holes in the other end length; a rectangular closure strap extending across the closure and having one end inserted between the container and the mid length of the neck strap and a' plurality of holes spaced along an end portion of its length at its other end, said end portion being positioned contiguous with the overlapping two ends of the neck strap and with one of the plurality of holes in the end portion coinciding with the coinciding holes in the two ends of the neck strap; an insertable pin integral with the inserted end of the closure strap and extending into one of the plurality of holes spaced along the mid length of the neck strap; a detachable and rotatable lock post inserted through the coinciding holes in the two ends of the neck strap and the coinciding hole in the end portion of the closure strap, said lock post having a flange which is greater in diameter than the diameter of the coinciding holes in the neck strap and which is positioned between the neck strap and the container, a channel extending transversely to its length at a location more remote from the flange than the two ends of the necktstrap and the end portion of the closure strap, and its end portion remote from the flange curving away from a line perpendicular to the flange; and a locking means inserted through the channel of the lock post.

2. A device for holding the closure of a container in container closing position comprising, in combination, a neck strap placed around the container adjacent to the closure, said rectangular neck strap having a plurality of holes of equal diameter spaced along end lengths at its two ends and a plurality of holes spaced along a mid length between its two ends and having its two ends overlapping so that one of the plurality of holes in one end length coincides with one of the plurality of holes in the other end length; a closure strap extending across the closure and having one end inserted between the container and the mid length of the neck strap and a plurality of holes spaced along an end portion of its length at its other end, said end portion being positioned contiguous with the overlapping two ends of the neck strap and with one of the plurality of holes in the end portion coinciding with the coinciding holes in the two ends of the neck strap; and a detachable and rotatable lock post inserted into the coinciding holes in the two ends of the neck strap and the coinciding holes in the end portion of the closure strap, said lock post having a flange which is greater in diameter than the diameter of the coinciding holes in the neck strap and which is positioned between the neck strap and the container, a channel extending transversely to its length at a location more remote from the flange than the two ends of the neck strap and the end portion of the closure strap, and its end portion remote from the flange curving away from a line perpendicular to the flange.

3. A device for holding the closure of a container in container closing position comprising, in combination, a neck strap placed around the container adjacent to the closure, said neck strap having a hole at each of its two ends and hole midway between the holes at its two ends and having its two ends overlapping so that the hole at one end coincides with the hole at the other end; a closure strap extending across the closure and having one end inserted between the container and that portion of the neck strap midway between the two holes in the ends of the neck strap and having its other end contiguous with the overlapping ends of the neck strap, said closure strap having a hole which coincides with the coinciding holes in the ends of the neck strap; an insertable pin integral with the inserted end of the closure strap and which extends into the hole in the neck strap which is midway between the two holes in the ends of the neck strap; and a lock post inserted into the coinciding holes in the ends of the neck strap and the coinciding hole in the closure strap, said lock post having a channel extending transversely to its length at a location more remote from the container than the ends of the neck strap and the contiguous end of the closure strap.

4. A device for holding the closure of a container in container closing position comprising, in combination, a

neck strap surrounding the container adjacent to the closure, said neck strap having a hole at each of its two ends and having its two ends overlapping so that the hole at one end coincides with the hole at the other end; a closure strap extending across the closure and having one end inserted between the container and the neck strap and having its other end contiguous with the overlapping ends or" the neck strap, said closure strap having a hole which coincides with the coinciding holes in the ends of the neck strap; and a rotatable lock post inserted through the coinciding holes in the ends of the neck strap and the coinciding hole in the closure strap, said lock post having its end portion most remote from the container curving away from the center line of the coinciding holes in the ends of the neck strap and in the closure strap.

Osterhout Oct. 20, 1874 De Mars July 2, 1907 

1. A DEVICE FOR HOLDING THE CLOSURE OF A CONTAINER IN CONTAINER CLOSING POSITION COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RECTANGULAR NECK STRAP PLACED AROUND THE CONTAINER ADJACENT TO THE CLOSURE, SAID NECK STRAP HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLES OF EQUAL DIAMETER SPACED ALONG END LENGTHS AT ITS TWO ENDS AND A PLURALITY OF HOLES SPACED ALONG A MID LENGTH BETWEEN ITS TWO ENDS AND HAVING ITS TWO ENDS OVERLAPPING SO THAT ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF HOLES IN ONE END LENGTH COINCIDES WITH ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF HOLES IN THE OTHER END LENGTH; A RECTANGULAR CLOSURE STRAP EXTENDING ACROSS THE CLOSURE AND HAVING ONE END INSERTED BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THE MID LENGTH OF THE NECK STRAP AND A PLURALITY OF HOLES SPACED ALONG AN END PORTION OF ITS LENGTH AT ITS OTHER END, SAID END PORTION BEING POSITIONED CONTIGUOUS WITH THE OVERLAPPING TWO ENDS OF THE NECK STRAP AND WITH ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF HOLES IN THE END PORTION COINCIDING WITH THE COINCIDING HOLES IN THE TWO ENDS OF THE NECK STRAP; AN INSERTABLE PIN INTEGRAL WITH THE INSERTED END OF THE CLOSURE STRAP AND EXTENDING INTO ONE OF THE PLURALITY OF HOLES SPACED ALONG THE MID LENGTH OF THE NECK STRAP; A DETACHABLE AND ROTATABLE LOCK POST INSERTED THROUGH THE COINCIDING HOLES IN THE TWO ENDS OF THE NECK STRAP AND THE COINCIDING HOLE IN THE END PORTION OF THE CLOSURE STRAP, SAID LOCK POST HAVING A FLANGE WHICH IS GREATER IN DIAMETER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE COINCIDING HOLES IN THE NECK STRAP AND WHICH IS POSITIONED BETWEEN THE NECK STRAP AND THE CONTAINER, A CHANNEL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO ITS LENGTH AT A LOCATION MORE REMOTE FROM THE FLANGE THAN THE TWO ENDS OF THE NECK STRAP AND THE END PORTION OF THE CLOSURE STRAP, AND ITS END PORTION REMOTE FROM THE FLANGE CURVING AWAY FROM A LINE PERPENDICULAR TO THE FLANGE; AND A LOCKING MEANS INSERTED THROUGH THE CHANNEL OF THE LOCK POST. 